As part of their Parks for All program, US company Hydro Flask have donated over £10,000 in 2024 to the South Downs Trust to help more young people living in cities to access the outdoors and the health and wellbeing benefits of the National Park.
Hydro Flask said about their #ParksForAll program:
“Access to parks and green spaces impacts our lives well beyond the moment outside. With an active outdoor life comes more confidence, resilience, adaptability, community, determination and purpose – benefits that enrich us as human beings and as a society.”
Their contribution also includes a Hydro Flask product donation, some of which were recently given out to a group of young volunteers on a summer camp in the South Downs National Park. The Hydro Flask product is a reusable bottle designed to be refilled repeatedly, encouraging users to eliminate single use plastic bottles and waste, fostering a #RefillForGood philosophy.
Since it was founded in 2018, South Downs National Park Trust has enabled more than 25,500 outdoor learning experiences to take place in the South Downs.
One recent outdoor learning activity organised by Action for Conservation, and funded by Hydro Flask, enabled the group to take part in practical conservation tasks at Seven Sisters Country Park in the South Downs.
Seven Sisters Country Park, owned by South Downs National Park since 2021, has its own refurbished camping barn facility where groups of young people can stay overnight. Fronted by the iconic chalk cliffs, the site has 280 hectares of globally important habitats, unique wildlife and heritage secrets to discover. Sleeping out under the stars is now a reality for many of the groups that apply for our outdoor education opportunities.
Omar Abu-Seer, the South East Programme Manager for Action for Conservation said:
“Ensuring young people have access to and can experience the wonder of nature is an essential part of Action for Conservation’s work. During our Summer Camps, we explore protected landscapes such as South Downs National Park and work closely with Ranger teams.Young people participate in hands-on conservation activities with the Rangers, expanding their environmental knowledge and emphasising that they can make a real difference to help nature. At the end of Camp, they were thrilled to be given brand new Hydro Flasks to get them started on their next outdoor adventure!”
This funding from Hydro Flask will allow even more of these fantastic outdoor learning opportunities to be made available for young people, who may otherwise never have experienced the countryside.
More about Hydroflask’s Parks for All program
More about Outdoor Learning opportunities for young people in South Downs National Park